For most people, getting enough protein into their daily eating plan proves to be the biggest challenge they face, nutritionally speaking. Unless you are a lover of chicken breast or are diligently tracking your protein intake, there is a good chance you are currently not eating enough protein each day.

Fortunately, some vegetables will pack in more protein than many people realize. While they definitely will not give you the protein a juicy steak would, as far as vegetables go they do offer a good dose. Include these protein-packed vegetables in your daily eating plan, and you might just find it becomes easier than ever to get your needs met.

Here are three of the best vegetables to choose…

1. Edamame. Often regarded as a vegetarian-only food, do not neglect this vegetable. It packs in 10 grams of protein per cup and is super easy to prepare and eat. You can purchase this vegetable in steamer bags, making it easy just to pop them into the microwave, add a little salt and pepper, and then serve.

For something even tastier, try tossing them with a little of your favorite salad dressing before serving.

2. Corn. Few things are more delicious than fresh corn on the cob done on the BBQ. Corn is primarily a carbohydrate source, but this said, it will also give you a good dose of protein as well.

Corn packs in 8 grams of protein per half cup serving, so not to be ignored. If you combine corn with some black beans, which makes for a great combination, the beans will also provide you with a great dose of protein as well, and this can help to make a complete meal.

If you cannot find corn on the cob, canned corn works as well. Just avoid creamed corn as it has other ingredients added and is higher in fat and sugar.

3. Kale. Next up on the list is kale, which packs in 6 grams of protein per two cup serving. Kale is often regarded as one of the best superfoods you can be eating thanks to the high variety of vitamins and minerals it contains.

Serve it raw, cooked, or blended into a protein smoothie. Any which way you prefer; you will be doing your body good.

Keep these vegetables in mind and make sure you are not overlooking them. Remember there are other places you can get your protein from part from animal-based sources.

Walnuts are delicious and tasty seeds that belong to tree nut family of cashews, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, and pine, and they are from the Juglans genus. Walnuts are round and single-seeded fruits enclosed in an inedible and thick husk. The fruits are encased in a hard and two-halved shell. Walnuts have been thought to be a brain food due to their medicinal properties and their brain structure shape which makes them termed as a “symbol of intelligence“, believed to enhance intellect.

The nuts contain numerous nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, essential fatty acids (EFAs), and other essential minerals to offer many health benefits. They are seen as “power food” because of their ability to improve body stamina. Walnuts provide various health benefits such as prevention and control of diabetes, lowering of body’s bad cholesterol, weight management, skin health, erectile dysfunction remedy, improvement of metabolism, and much more.

This content will highlight some of the key benefits of walnuts to the body. Before we proceed, let’s know more about walnuts’ nutritional values for them to offer so much health benefits.

Nutritional values of Walnuts

Many researchers have carried out many National Nutritional Databases and have reported thorough research on the nutritional values of walnuts. It has been reported that walnuts are equipped with omega-3 fatty acids couple with selenium and iodine that are responsible for optimal brain functions. Apart from these important nutrients, below are additional nutritional values of walnuts:

Walnuts also contain carotenoids such as zeaxanthin, lutein, and beta-carotene.

Key Health Benefits of WalnutsWalnuts are a tasty supplement that can be easily incorporated in the diets to serve different purposes. Apart from this, they are enriched with numerous significant properties including proteins and antioxidants to offer several health benefits. Below are the most celebrated health benefits of walnuts:

Prevention and control of diabetes: A study has been reported and published that “consumption of walnuts is inversely proportional to the chances of having type 2 diabetes“. The nuts have been shown to enhance the parameter of metabolism in type 2 diabetic people. The high amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats contained in walnuts have been shown to help people with diabetes without presumed weight gain by reducing insulin level.

Glowing skin and anti-aging: Walnuts are equipped with minerals and vitamins to help skin glowing and younger. This is the reason why walnut oil is recommended for the ageless and flawless skin as antioxidants contained in walnuts are helpful in fighting wrinkles to promote healthy skin. Walnuts are also found to cure skin problem such as psoriasis by applying it topically or use its oil directly on the body.

Effective weight management: Research has established that a number of calories, fats, and carbohydrate found in walnuts (believed to cause weight gain) have been found to promote ideal weight. Walnuts fats and calories nutrients are discovered to be healthier than any other nuts in the family.

Healthy male reproduction: Walnuts contain medicinal properties to improve reproductive health in men. It has been found to have significant effects on male fertility such as sperm quality, motility, morphology, and sperm vitality. Consumption of Western-style diet containing 75 grams of walnuts daily has been studied to help erectile dysfunction in men.

Healthy heart function: The omeg-3 contained in walnuts is a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids similar to oleic acid in other substances which enhances healthy heart. The nuts are also rich in essential fatty acids like linoleic acid, arachidonic acids, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) to aid coronary cardiovascular disease prevention through the supply of healthy lipid. The intake of 25 grams of walnuts daily is enough for daily recommended essential fatty acids which minimize the chances of heart diseases as well as high blood pressure.

Prevent cancer: Some of the nutrients such as antioxidants and phenolic compound contained in walnuts have been researched by Carvalho et al. (2010), to help control cancer cells growth in the body. A study also proved that walnuts are capable of reducing the risk of prostate cancer as well as breast cancer by 30 – 40%.

Promote healthy bone: Walnuts are rich in calcium and essential fatty acids (EFAs) to help secure the bone health by optimum deposition and absorption of calcium and control excretion of calcium urinary.

Body inflammation reduction: Inflammation is not good for the body; however, an experiment conducted by Papoutsi and co., confirmed that walnuts are equipped with a phytochemical and polyphenolic compound to lower the effects of inflammation in the body.

Sleep and relaxation enhancement: Walnuts has a bio-available sleep inducing hormone called melatonin to regulate and induce quality sleep and relaxation. Adding walnuts to your diet at dinner is a great option for good rest.

Mood enhancement: A study has revealed that omega-3 fatty acids contained in walnuts reduce tantrum, irritability, and hyperactivity. This has been found helpful in children’s diet as it makes up the deficiency of essential fatty acids to boosts their moods. Supplementing the diet of people with stress and depression with walnuts also help their condition in boosting their moods.

ConclusionThe benefits of plant-based foods such as walnuts cannot be over-emphasized, considering the numerous advantages of the dry fruits to the body health. The benefits have been researched to cut across prevention and control of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, weight management, and much more. This article has been able to highlight some of these key benefits and taking advantage of these benefits will promote the overall health of your body.

A healthy lifestyle encompasses all of the components of healthy living, eating food which your body finds highly nutritious, exercising the body on a consistent basis, getting enough rest and sleep, drinking plenty of fresh water etc.

The real way to maintain that kind of lifestyle is to take action on all of those things above on a consistent basis. There’s no point in just having one healthy meal every now and again then the rest of the time eating frozen and processed foods. It simply won’t work for you. You have to eat great food all of the time.

Yes now and again we all have ice cream or a pizza and that is fine, I’m not advocating a permanent diet, in fact eating healthy food is not like being on a diet, you are not counting calories or measuring foods out like that, it’s more of giving your body what it needs rather than what you want.

Live by the motto:

“Eat to live not live to eat ”

Apart from food your body also craves exercise, it was designed to exercise and move on a regular basis. All of the joints in your body, your knees, your elbows and your hips were designed to move in a certain way, pushing and pulling in all of those joints will keep your body healthy but not just the body, your joints and tendons will be healthy and if you exercise on a consistent basis into your old age they will remain healthy your entire life.

Isn’t that more important than looking good in the mirror? What is the point in only wanting big biceps and a six-pack, or for women to get toned and in shape? Isn’t it more important to stay healthy, keep your weight under control and exercise your body the way is was designed to move, for your entire life?

That is a healthy lifestyle,

It’s not getting into shape for the summer.

Yes, I know everyone wants to look good in their shorts or swimsuit in the summer months, but it’s better to have a life goal of keeping in shape and building a strong, functional and balanced body and maintaining that body your whole life not just for the summer.

The biggest contributing factor that will help you to maintain that kind of lifestyle is self-discipline. Have the discipline to eat the right foods, to control your portion sizes, to follow an exercise program and keep going even when you don’t feel like doing it.

So even when you feel a little tired and you would love to eat some chocolate and ice cream and kick your shoes off and sit on the couch and watch TV, you have the self-discipline to know that doing that will not move you towards your life goal of maintaining or moving towards having a fully functional and strong body.

This means that you have to push yourself, step by step and little by little every single day and doing this will make you feel good, your self-esteem and self-image will improve because you know you are one of the few people on this planet who has the self-discipline to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

And of course over time the consistent action that you take now, right now, will slowly begin to show outwardly in your physical body. That means looking toned and fit and strong, both men and women, all year around and year after year for the rest of your life.

Are you struggling with a healthy eating plan? Do find it difficult to focus on eating healthy all of the time? Is there was a way to help you avoid those tempting unhealthy foods that we seem to crave so much? Perhaps you’re thinking that eating healthy foods costs too much money? I am going to address all of these issues and more in this article.

Firstly let me say that I am prone to slipping into a diet that you might call unhealthy, I am faced with the same temptations as everyone else reading this – chocolate, ice cream, cans of soft drinks and convenience foods such as pizza. We are all battling against these temptations every single day of our lives and it takes a lot of self-discipline to avoid and take control of our eating habits and in this article I am going to explain to you how I am able to do just that.

You see what I have found is that if I plan what I am going to eat for each meal for one week ahead and I only purchase those foods, then I am much more likely to stick with what I have purchased. I don’t want to then go back and shop later in the week and risk wasting my hard-earned money – just as the rest of us don’t, so I almost always stick with my menu.

And that raises a point that I would like to make, most or at least a lot of folks shop on a daily basis for the dinner that night. Well, what does this kind of shopping pattern reveal? What I see are stressed out parents, pulling their hungry children down the aisles of supermarkets which doesn’t leave much time for the cooking. Welcome to convenience food shopping because that is what normally happens, they – the parents – choose convenience food, which means it will be quick and easy to cook when they get home. Doing this they not only save time but they get the kids fed quicker, right?

And what is this doing, not only to the health of their children, but to themselves also. Convenience food is rarely a healthy option; think of additives, preservatives and all the other chemicals which are added to our food – what is this doing to our bodies? Well, it isn’t doing it any good is it? Take a look around you, at the folks who eat like this – do they look healthy? Are they vibrant with health and full of energy?

Also, shopping for food like this adds a lot money onto the credit card, you will find that impulse buying increases, comfort foods like cakes and desserts are added to the basket without much though as to the cost.

You can avoid all of this with a few minutes of planning each week. You plan out what you are going to eat for each meal, you make a list and then you go out, not on impulse now, but on a planned journey and you know exactly what you are going to purchase. This avoids any rash decisions when it comes to eating healthy foods, it keeps the cost down and cuts out all of those impulse purchases that add up.

I have found that a great idea is to make your list for the week and put it on the fridge. You have all your days planned out so when the kids get home from school and ask – what’s for dinner? You know beforehand, and they also know when they see the list.

In this article I am going to cover seven ways you can become healthier and increase your fitness levels. I am going to cover the best types of exercises to do to get fit and healthy, the best kinds of foods to eat to reduce your calorie intake and how to check that you are moving in the right direction.

Get Your Body Moving

Exercise is one of the most important components of living a healthy lifestyle. Even if you eat all the right foods and you aren’t over-weight if you do not exercise your body then you won’t be able to live an active and energetic lifestyle.

You don’t need to join a gym or attend a cardio class, you just need to find something that you enjoy that raises your heart rate and your breathing rate to exercise your body.

Here are some ideas you might like to try – swimming is a great all over body exercise that can get you strong and fit, martial arts is another great form of fitness, jogging gets your body moving and is great for burning off calories, power walking is the same but a little less intense on your joints and tendons than jogging.

How about some team sports like football or rugby – you don’t have to be a sports star to enjoy the health benefits of participating in a team sport. A great advantage of a team sport is that you are much more likely to turn up to training sessions when there are other people involved – you wouldn’t want to let your team down would you?

Have a look in your local sports centre and read the notice boards, you will find all kinds of activities to take part in. Try something new and meet new friends and help each other get fit and healthy.

Drink More Water

If you want to live a healthy lifestyle drinking more water should be high on your list of priorities. Keeping your body hydrated reduces the feelings of hunger, helps cleanse and detox your body from unwanted chemicals, keeps your skin hydrated and is much better for you than any other drink on the planet.

Water has zero calories so you can drink as much as you like without having to worry about sugar intake or putting on any weight. A good idea is to replace your soft drinks with water and drink water with your meals, it can aid in digestion.

So there are lots of good reasons to drink some more “H2O”.

Eat Smaller Portions

One of the biggest reasons why people get over-weight and unhealthy is because they eat huge portions sizes. I have seen many people in restaurants with plates so full of food it has been literally piled high! This is not a healthy way to go with your food.

Reducing your portion sizes can help you with reducing the calories you eat and can help you keep check on your weight. If you still feel hungry after your meal drink another glass of water or eat some fruit.

If you still think that eating smaller portion sizes just won’t help you then why not add a bowl of salad to your meal? Then you have something healthy and extra to add which should help to fill you up.

Eat More Often

Smaller portion sizes allow you to eat more often and eating more often can help to speed up your metabolism. If your metabolism is increased then your body can burn off more fat because – the reason this works is simple, when you go on a diet it typically means starving your body of calories and if you suddenly reduce your calories your body will react by going into what is called starvation mode and will begin to store fat on your body. This is a survival mechanism.

To stop this from happening you have to let your body know that there is no food shortage and you can easily do this by eating more often. This of course doesn’t mean you can eat more chocolate cake or more desserts. You can replace those snacks that you enjoy with fruit and nuts.

Increase your food intake by choosing healthy options and snacks, add a bowl of salad to every meal and drink lots more water.

Reduce Your Sugar Intake

We are a society which is addicted to sugar, we have sugar with most meals that we eat, it is added to lots and lots of foods to sweeten it up, it is added to fizzy drinks, sauces, soup and is coated on most morning cereals.

“Health Literacy” is the ability to read, understand and act upon health information. And, more than half of the American population is not proficient on this topic. Unfortunately, the above definition is the point after which most head into the wrong direction. Unless a significant misnomer, by definition, the focus of health literacy should be two-fold, enhancement of functional literacy (period) and increased attention to the issues of health.

The general public reads very little non-commercial, health-related materials, the content being very challenging. Additionally, people consume too much sugar, consume alcohol and excesses of red meats, processed grains, artificial chemical additives, too few and unvaried fruits and vegetables, and eat too much. Many also smoke, use recreational drugs, misuse prescription drugs, exercise too little and engage in other social and recreational activities that are harmful to them physically and psychologically. Much of that which I just described and many more contributors to poor personal and public health are legally accessible and even marketed to you. The question is, who is responsible for your health knowledge and healthy behaviors (health care) versus your medical status (medical care)?

Your mechanic recommends selecting quality fuels, lubricants, and other fluids, and changing them regularly. You should manage your tires’ pressure and watch tread wear. You check your brakes’ function and monitor all for all other signs of possible malfunction. And, although there are plenty of after-market and alternative products and services by which to care for your vehicles, no clear-thinking person deviates demonstrably from use/maintenance recommendations if expecting vehicles to perform well and last. Such is because motor vehicles are sold with maintenance recommendations and schedules that you read, developing your “automotive care literacy”.

The western medical professional community markedly fails to train its cadre well in subjects of prevention, health maintenance, and safe. high performance, physical fitness for the masses. This also includes failure to train them to care substantially about the health literacy of their clientele. Nationally, we spend a lot of money on a Center for Disease Control, Planned Parenthood [primarily STD/STI and services for sex-related diseases], and local public health agencies (focus upon epidemiology, primary medical care, local epidemics management). And, we wrangle politically over the role of government versus the private sector for the provision of all services, particularly those that are values-based. However, public health literacy (education) is a non-revenue generating activity and receives minimal attention.

While in the public many clamor for inalienable rights to comprehensive medical care, the general public doesn’t march for the rights to universal health literacy. Nor does it ask the government to require the market to be more responsible for promoting products, services and social behaviors consistent with universal health. Yet, we must not allow the government, nor the socially and financially empowered to suggest that speaking against “unhealthy” environments, foods, untoward products and behaviors (and effects of) is inappropriate, and thereby “politically incorrect” behavior, unless you want current vocal ideologies to drive health care and not literacy.

Cholesterol isn’t necessarily harmful for us since our body requires it for making vitamin D, hormones and digestive fluids. However having too much LDL (low density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol) in the body can trigger problems of the heart and increase the risk for heart attack and stroke.

In this article we are going to discuss the kinds of health issues that might occur due to a high level of cholesterol in the body.

Risk Of Atherosclerosis

When there is an excess of LDL in our body it tends to build up in the arteries making them clogged and inflexible. The stiffness of the arteries is a condition called atherosclerosis. Blood doesn’t pass easily through the hardened arteries which is why our heart has to overwork for pushing the blood through the stiff arteries. Once your arteries start to clog up, there is increased chance of experienced various heart related problems.

Risk Of Angina And Peripheral Arterial Disease

When the plaque starts to deposit on the coronary arteries, it disrupts the flow of blood to the heart. This leads to intense chest pain called angina. Patients of angina are at a much greater risk for heart attack. When the plaque in the coronary artery clots up or breaks off it could block the flow of blood resulting in a heart attack. Plaque build-up can also block the blood flow to your limbs and stomach- a disease called PAD or peripheral arterial disease.

Risk Of Stroke

Decreases flow of oxygen rich blood to the brain due to a ruptured or clogged artery greatly increases the chances of a stroke. Plaque deposition in the blood vessels can eventually result in a stroke because of disrupted blood flow to the brain.

Problems In The Digestive System

Cholesterol is essential for the production of bile and this forms an essential part of our digestive system. However, an excess in the bile converts into crystals and eventually into stones in the gall bladder, creating other equally dangerous side effects.

Stomach Ache

Extremely high cholesterol level can result in fat deposits on the liver, spleen, ligaments and skin. When the spleen or liver enlarges because of fat deposits, it causes severe stomach ache by putting pressure on the other organs of the abdominal cavity.

What if the unthinkable happens? You have an accident, but you are nowhere near a hospital. What do you do?

Is there such a thing as “natural trauma care”? The answer is a resounding YES.

1. Small nicks, cuts or scratches: You can dab on cornstarch. It will stop the bleeding almost immediately. Additionally, oddly enough, spider webs work very well if you can find some. Grab a good sized spider web, blow off the spider and any other bugs or debris and wrap it around or place over the injured area. Once the bleeding stops, remove the web and clean the cut thoroughly.

2. A bloody nose: If you are experiencing a bloody nose open a bottle of vinegar and inhale deeply through your nose. Keep doing so and the bleeding should stop within a short time. Vinegar burns the blood vessels cauterizing them closed.

3. For a bleeding wound: Apply a little sugar and let it melt over the wound. This will stop the blood from continuing to flow.

4. If you suspect a blood clot: You can take the herb Dong Quai to help break up the clot but do try and seek out medical attention as soon as possible as blood clots can be incredibly dangerous depending on location.

5. Ice: Reducing the temperature drastically slows bleeding as well as helps prevent future inflammation and bruising at the site of injury.

6. Small wounds: Cayenne pepper sprinkled into the wound will help to stop the bleeding as well black pepper.

7. Splinters: To remove small splinters from the skin easily, wet a bar of soap and rub the sharp end of a sewing needle in it, so that the needle has a liberal coating of soap. Then rub the soapy needle in the opposite direction of the splinter. As soon as the splinter has some soap in it, squeeze it, and it should come right out. This method is painless and is good for use on children. For removing splinters of glass from the skin pour some hydrogen peroxide on the skin. The splinter will bubble itself out after a few minutes. Do not squeeze as more tissue damage may occur.

8. Burns: The best thing for a burn is to apply cool water liberally. Do ensure that the water is not too hot or too cold. Blisters will be formed, but that is a part of the natural healing process. If you want to avoid blisters you could try one of these home remedies. Cut a tomato into wedges and rub one slice on the burn. The acid from the tomato takes the pain away and the burn will not blister. You can also use cold water and vinegar compresses until the pain goes away and then apply potato slices on the area.

9. After any injury for overall healing – Arnica Montana 1M (trauma care blend) Specifically designed to speed recovery from a major physical trauma, TraumaCare™ is generally considered too strong for a minor bump or bruise.

With winters come flue, cough, fever, and all those nasty diseases. All the winter fun is ruined when your kids are sick. There are multiple reasons why children are more vulnerable to get ill quicker than adults and one of those is their weak immune system. Children, especially toddlers and pre-school aged are sensitive and need additional care. Here, in this post, I am going to tell you five ways to protect your kids in winters.

1. Give them Enough Sleep
When winters come, kids get excited and become hyperactive. They just want to go out and play in the snow or with school playground equipment. Just like other seasons, your little ones need the right amount of sleep in winters as well in order to stay healthy.

What is more, our bodies inevitably need more sleep when days become shorter and nights get longer. However, children need it more than adults, so make them sleep enough during winters.

2. Keep them Hydrated
Kids usually don’t feel thirsty during winters, but their bodies need enough amount of water to keep hydrated and function properly. Children almost forget to drink water the entire day and this makes them sick really quickly. Keep a 1.5 bottle for each kid and ask them to finish it during the day. Make it a challenge for them and promise chocolates or their favorite snacks for the one who finishes earlier.

3. Seasonal Foods
Nature provides us with foods according to seasonal demands. These fruits are given to us by nature according to the seasonal requirements. With cold breeze outside in winters, we need to stay warm inside and these foods perform that function for us. All the foods should be cooked prior to eating to get the best taste and intake nutrition. Your little ones will be healthy and remain warm and their energy stores will be filled if you feed them seasonal foods.

4. Additional Vitamins
Even though vitamins are needed throughout the year, they are required in larger amount during winters when diseases are likely to attract because immune systems function at a slow pace. Vitamins, especially vitamin D helps to make kids’ immune system stronger, which, in turn, aids in fighting diseases. Give them either enough exposure to sunlight or vitamin D3 supplements to fulfill deficiency. Moreover, vitamin C is also needed to strengthen the immune system, so make sure you give them food rich with vitamins in winters.

5. Wash Hands
It’s not just for winters but for every time of the year. However, you should be stricter in winters because of cold and flu around and your kids are likely to attract infections. Make it their habit and do not allow them to come to the dining table if they do not wash their hands, especially if they were messing around in playground structures. When you teach them to wash hands, also tell them the reason and importance of doing so.

Herbal medicines are evolving the world of medicines since they are found effective at treating various severe problems. Indulging in the benefits of nature herbal supplements is often best choice as to the alternative of different allopathic drugs, which harms your body to the extreme. More than half people are dependent on the supplements as normal food is not enough rich with the essential nutrients. From the antioxidants and vitamins to super foods, these extra doses of supplements are effective at fighting your joint pain and help you to lose some extra kilos.

Despite of eating all the healthy foods and exercising regularly, the frantic pace of regular life keep us away from reaping the benefits of all nutrients and to come over the deficiency, most of us are relied on the supplements. However, there is a continuous race between the herbal ones and the inorganic ones. The herbal ones are the natural source of all the essential nutrients with no side effects at all. Getting your dietary supplements naturally give you boosting benefits.

Benefits Of Choosing Herbal Supplements Over the Chemical Ones:-

No Side Effects – From a health viewpoint, the herbal supplements are meant to give you the benefits of natural and treat the problems or disorders effectively. They are the best at providing you the gift of good health while leaving no scars behind. The best part about such medicines is they provide better results than the chemical ones.

Boost Up Stamina For Daily Activities – Whether you are an athlete or just looking for some supplements to look after your body, herbal medicines are here to give you all the benefits it possesses naturally. It has the power to boost up your stamina and make you fit for facing the daily challenges with an ease. It builds up good immune so that the consumer will not fall sick frequently.

Restore The Metabolism – Having good metabolism is necessary for an excellent functioning digestive system and herbal supplements are meant to give you aid with all kinds of digestive ailments. It makes your upset tummy happy and give you boosted metabolism for sure. Feel no more bloated with the supplements.

Save Your Money – If you compare the cost of herbal medicines with the allopathic ones, you will find the herbal ones cost effective. They are based on solid science and are the result of continuous process with the safe potencies formulate to the exact specifications. The ease of availability of resources makes them cost effective and efficient for fighting with common disorders.